Trent Baalke discussed his approach to the upcoming draft. Trent Baalke met with reporters at the 49ers headquarters in Santa Clara, Calif. Thursday April 15, 2010. Trent Baalke is the 49ers new player personnel chief and his first big task is the NFL draft.

Photo: Brant Ward, The Chronicle

Trent Baalke discussed his approach to the upcoming draft. Trent...

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Trent Baalke stood on a practice field at the 49ers facility. Trent Baalke met with reporters at the 49ers headquarters in Santa Clara, Calif. Thursday April 15, 2010. Trent Baalke is the 49ers new player personnel chief and his first big task is the NFL draft.

Photo: Brant Ward, The Chronicle

Trent Baalke stood on a practice field at the 49ers facility. Trent...

Trent Baalke is still pretty new to this whole "final say" business as the emergency head of the 49ers' draft. That's understandable, seeing he replaced 49ers general manager Scot McCloughan just a month ago.

Give Baalke this, though: when it comes to talking about next week's NFL draft, this pseudo-GM can say nothing in long-form sentences with the best of them.

"I don't know if I'm going to share that," Baalke said Thursday when asked about who the 49ers want to draft, what positions have the most depth, which top brass are in the top brass meetings.

"I'd rather not tell you what our belief is and tip our hat in any way, shape or form."

In short, Baalke did what general managers do best in this league, and that's keep things to themselves.

Maybe the team will trade up into the first round. Maybe they'll trade down. Or, maybe, just maybe, they'll deal away the No. 13 or No. 17 overall pick for additional picks later in the draft.

That said, here's what we do know after Baalke's half-hour sit-down with reporters at team headquarters, albeit a safe, secure distance from the team's ultra-secret draft board.

-- The 49ers need to draft another offensive tackle. Not that there's anything wrong with left tackle Joe Staley, other than the fact there is only one of him on an offensive line with two tackle positions.

Baalke concedes offensive tackle is a top-heavy position in this draft. He guesses five or six will go in the first round.

The 49ers could use a first-rounder on one of them. Unless they don't. But at least they realize they need to do something about that unattended hole on the right side.

-- Baalke wouldn't rule out drafting a quarterback - has anyone told Jed York that Notre Dame quarterback Jimmy Clausen is on the market? - but he came pretty close.

"We're not going to rule out anything at this point, but I want to make this clear: Alex Smith is our quarterback. We have total confidence in his ability to get the job done."

-- Baalke wouldn't say it, but darn straight there are teams interested in trading up into one of the 49ers' two first-round picks.

As it turns out, Fresno State running back Ryan Mathews is quite the item for teams picking in the second half of the round. And, more than a few are thinking about leapfrogging the others to get him first.

The Texans are the first team truly interested, and they pick at No. 20. The Patriots (22nd) and Chargers (28th) have also kicked his tires.

Heck, Baalke himself almost sounded interested in Mathews, and this from a guy who already has Frank Gore.

But then, that would be exactly what Baalke would want you to think. After all, he's kind of the GM now, and that's just what GMs do.

"We're going to get the players we have targeted," Baalke said. "I promise you that."